Bike New York

I played beach volleyball yesterday. On St. Patrick’s Day! And I was hot! No, I didn’t go on vacation. Chicago is having an amazing stretch of unseasonably warm weather. The best thing about it is that it gets people out doing what they love because they know that it still could snow again. For me it’s volleyball (or fishing if I can escape the city), but for others it may be running, playing with their dog, or riding a bike. Since I saw a ton of bikes yesterday, I thought it would be a good day to take a look at Bike New York. They’re a New York, NY based non-profit organization that aims to “promote and encourage bicycling and bicycle safety through education, public events, and collaboration with community and government organizations.” Biking is good for cities and good for people, so Bike New York isn’t just about biking for biking’s sake.

Pedal Faster

Bike New York has made a name for itself by “producing America’s largest cycling event, a 42-mile, traffic-free ride for some 32,000 cyclists known as the TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour.” That will certainly get some attention, but it’s the day to day stuff where Bike New York really does its best work. Biker education is extremely important. Most people think that once they’ve learned to ride a bike they’ve learned everything they need to know. That may work for casual biking on a separate bike path, but if you’re going to bike through a major city like New York, you need to be better prepared. That’s why Bike New York offers classes like Savvy Cyclist: Traffic Skills 101, Winter Riding 101, and Bike Maintenance 101. This type of education directly saves lives (and by promoting biking it also saves lives by promoting healthier lifestyles and preventing pollution). If you love what Bike New York is doing, take a look at their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Bike Safety School Assembly Instructor, Bike Fleet Manager, a Youth Program Bike Instructor, and a Freelance Class Captain. Take a look at these positions, and then go enjoy the beautiful weather.